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Eat or Read? Seven Ways to Save on Books

If you’re an avid reader who is consequently not also a millionaire, then you’re most likely familiar with the quandary I present to you today: books cost money. Of course, not all books cost money, and not all the prices are enough to make your piggy bank squirm. In general, though, you have to cough up some cash to devour some literature.

Since I buy COPIOUS amounts of books, I thought I’d give a few tips on how I save some money and make sure there’s enough left over to buy silly little things like food, and to pay my rent.

The Ereader For every reader out there, there is a separate opinion on whether or not ebooks and ereaders are a travesty or a delight. I’m not trying to sell you either way, I’m just saying that having an ereader has helped me save money (and space) in regards to books. I can read tons of books for below the $2.99 price point, which is fantastic. Plus, they only take up digital space. In a one bedroom apartment, that in itself is enough to promote sanity. There are many ebooks that are the same price as a physical mass-market paperback, or even more pricey. Personally, I think this is a bit of a scam, but there are also a lot of regulations and suits going on right now to help make ebook prices a bit more fair. In general, though, I buy ebooks that are cheaper than physical books, and that saves me money. Many local bookstores (that aren’t huge chains) have hooked themselves up with the Kobo store, and you can buy ebooks that support the small businesses. Check out the site for your local bookstore to see if they have that option available. You may be limited by your ereader in this regard, but there are also apps for tablets and phones that will let you read these formats.

Buying books on Amazon I have a Kindle, so it’s a no-brainer to buy books from the Kindle Store. However, I also have an Amazon credit card, which gives me points towards purchases on Amazon for every dollar I spend. I get these points for stuff I buy on Amazon (books), and real-world things like gas and food. In short, I net at least five dollars in points a month, and I can immediately turn that five dollars into books. It works out great for me.

Kindle Daily Deals Basically, Amazon discounts books every day. They feature four of them in various genres on their site as the Kindle Daily Deals. Here is where you can grab a book that normally goes for over $7 for $1.99 (an example from today). I check these daily and have purchased several books with this method. Granted, this may backfire, because I end up purchasing books many times because they ARE on sale, but given the fact that I do actually read them and am interested in them, it works out. You can subscribe to this list through email or follow them on Twitter (@AmazonKindle).

Free ebook lists A lot of ebooks out there are free, or offered for free for a short amount of time. There are numerous websites that gather this data and make it easier to navigate. If you can find a mailing list to hop on, or just follow a site, you may find some stuff worth reading. Kindle always has a ton of freebies, and many authors are offering ebooks for free randomly in order to promote their work and get more readers.

Reviews New authors (and established authors) need reviews. From having your own book review blog, to scanning Goodreads for forum posts, you can find a lot of people wanting to exchange a copy of their work for an honest review. Authors are also seeking beta readers, if you’re looking to be involved in the process of a book getting ready for publishing.

Used Books If you’re more into physical books, I used to buy used books. There are always great little used bookstores around, and many of the books are still in wonderful condition, yet at a reduced price. I’ve snagged several excellent copies of stuff I wanted to read from used bookstores.

The Library I’m one of those people that wants to own a copy of the book, even if it’s digital. You generally think of libraries for physical books, but most libraries these days have a good selection of ebooks you can borrow and read for free, which is just about as cost effective as you can get.

The majority of these methods involve ebooks and a Kindle. That’s what I use, so it’s what I’m familiar with. I’m always interested in finding more bargains, though, so let me know if you have any good ways to save a few bucks. How do you budget for books?

2 Comments

True enough! I don’t like to borrow books myself, mainly because I’m afraid I’ll damage them. Kindle titles are often lendable, though, which is something I do partake in from time to time and had forgotten! There’s also the ability to borrow one book a month with Amazon Prime membership.